Virginia Tech's Losses Continue To Add Up

Chris Coleman

Lead Analyst and Columnist

September 24, 2023 41

It was another frustrating day for Kyron Drones and the Virginia Tech offense. (Ivan Morozov)

Virginia Tech lost to Marshall 24-17 on Saturday. The Hokies started well, got back into the game late but were sort of run off the field on both sides of the ball in the middle of the game. Despite winning the turnover battle, Tech has now lost three consecutive games.

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Kyron Drones 2021 · QB Pheldarius Payne 2020 · DE Wilfried Pene 2020 · TE Josh Fuga 2019 · DT Mario Kendricks 2019 · DT Norell Pollard 2019 · DT Grant Wells 2019 · QB

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CC on Sunday 2023 VT-Marshall football

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41 Comments

HokieFanDC September 26, 2023 at 1:34 PM

Unless something miraculous happens over the next few games, changes need to be made. I'm more concerned about the O since Pry can always take over some D duties. Seems like we could get someone like Warren Ruggiero at Wake, or some other lower P5 or good G5 OC.
moneal September 26, 2023 at 9:19 AM

Woo Woo!!!!
Cheesehokie September 25, 2023 at 12:43 PM

Cue the train horn
75hoke September 25, 2023 at 11:19 AM

It is not a talent issue, it is definitely coaching. Talent in an individual does not regress. As Chris has pointed out many times before, just look at the PFF grades for most of the upperclassmen and how they have sky dived. They are not being properly coached and put into a situation to succeed.
1. TexasHokie89 September 25, 2023 at 1:28 PM
  
  +1
eodenc September 25, 2023 at 9:51 AM

I still have that old shirt and will be wearing it yet again this weekend.
tspoon5 September 25, 2023 at 9:48 AM

What was the PFF grades on the WRs in this game? We are all blaming Drones and the OC and maybe rightly so, but I'm curious if Drones sacks and throwaways were coverage sacks, poor play design, or QB reading it wrong. I had hoped for more with J Lane being back and Feltons mini breakout game. Seems like all the targets went to the TEs.
1. hokiepro September 25, 2023 at 1:03 PM
  
  J Lane was back but not close to 100% looked like
VaPoly07 September 25, 2023 at 9:17 AM

All of our players are just not good D1 players. This is going to be a massive undertaking for Pry to say the least, and I believe he has no shot with the current OC and DC. These coordinators are terrible. There is NO way our linebackers should be out of position literally on every play. Pry needs some OC/DC with experience. He also needs to keep the previous, and current, recruiting classes from leaving. We have too many resources to be worse than almost every D1 program. Its embarrassing
SanibelHokie September 25, 2023 at 8:12 AM

Bowen needs to play a few Madden games to build his Play Book. Marve needs to play a Prevent defense. Pry needs to go recruit everyday and come back next season. Man the kool aid tasted so much better before the season started!
Hokeedokee September 25, 2023 at 12:02 AM

Why anyone is suggesting we might win 3 games tthis year is beyond me. If we continue playing like we are so far there is NO way we win 3 games. UVA may be worse than us but that is the ONLY game I see we have a decent shot at winning. We are an AWFUL football team now, and the only way we win another game is if we play OVER over heads against a team that plays their worst football game of he season,
1. nkhooch September 25, 2023 at 1:47 AM
  
  We are rated above BC and UVA in math polls. So, that could be two more wins.
HokieHi1986 September 24, 2023 at 10:37 PM

The only reason this team might be better than 2018s run defense is that they don’t have to play Paul Johnson.
VAHokie89 September 24, 2023 at 10:34 PM

No opponent will be in a low-scoring match against us
extremehokie September 24, 2023 at 8:35 PM

The argument that our talent is lacking really irritates me and makes me question other posters. Not that CC said anything to this-but I guess I just need to vent in another place. Our talent, while perhaps not Clemson, FSU, or even UNCheat levels, it STILL above average. The proof is in the recruiting pudding. Yea, I know recruiting rankings are the end all, but we have consistent rankings that are well above the product on the field. The coaches are to blame for this crap product we are seeing weekly. There is no way anyone with any semblance of football knowledge can dispute this. Whit needs to be fired and forced to pay back some of his darn money. How dare he let Pry hire two green coordinators? We are the laughingstock of college football and it offends me, personally.
1. Bioteknik September 25, 2023 at 8:27 AM
  
  For arguments sake, a low three star guy that is s 5th year senior can very well be a better player that can physically dominate a redshirt freshman lineman that may have been a higher rated 3 star. There are definitely other things though with this current squad that don't pass the eye test.
2. VaPoly07 September 25, 2023 at 9:19 AM
  
  HC OC DC all brand spanking new and learning on the fly. what did we expect?
Coach_247_365 September 24, 2023 at 8:25 PM

If you can’t block and tackle, you’re not going to win many games. Age old comment from those involved in football know all to well. That’s where we are. I’ve never been part of a kick the coach while we are down crowd, but our inexperience at the coordinator level is a glaring eye sore. In that same breath, I don’t know if any experienced coordinator would sign up to try their hand at VT right now. I think we’re stuck and there’s not a lot that can be done in the short term. Fan bases always are fickle with their OCs. Heck, they wanted O’Brien out at Bama and they were national contenders year in and year out. As crazy as it sounds, Stinespring may not have wowed the fans as the OC, but his offensive teams could run the ball and were physical. I’d take him back on our sideline right now. I’m sure he would jump at the chance to return to Blacksburg. That’s the kind of hire and experience we can make happen sooner than later. Pry needs to get on the horn and see who out there wants to help rebuild this program. If he doesn't, I fear time in Blacksburg is going to be short. Next week's night game with Pitt could be filled with boo birds. That's how far off we are right now.
1. Coach_247_365 September 24, 2023 at 8:41 PM
  
  Scott Abell has taken historically inferior college football teams to teams leading the nation offensively. Granted W&L and Davidson are different than Power 5 football, but proof is in the pudding. His teams are great on offense. From Virginia with local ties and experienced. Why not?
GO_HOKIES_GO September 24, 2023 at 8:23 PM

After watching the UVa game I am not sure VT will be better than they are by 11/25. They play hard and their QB has talent (event though it is even money that he is injured by the time the Hokies show up in Hooville - takes too many big hits). If VT loses to the Wahoos the sun will catch on fire and there will definitely be some “restructuring” of the staff in the off-season.
1. George Baylor September 25, 2023 at 9:36 AM
  
  I agree with "GO" UVa is playing better than us and has equal talent, maybe better.
mdriver September 24, 2023 at 8:06 PM

Chris, as always thanks for an excellent and informative article about the current debacle known as VT football. Obviously, something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and my knowledge of football, admittedly as little as it is, points to some glaring deficiencies in the coaching our players are receiving. There is no way that anyone can convince me that the players VT is putting on the field were lower rated coming out of high school than the ones on the field for our first four opponents. So that obviously goes back to the questions that have risen regarding Pry and Company's coaching abilities. I've unfortunately viewed all four games in their entirety, and to say that there have been way too many head scratching calls by Pry and his assistant coaches is an understatement. And I think it's safe to say that Pry and Company's overall pay package is way above any of our opponents' coaching staffs. It is a true testament to our fan base that the upcoming game with Pitt is a sellout. I can't think of any other university's football program that has the fan support we do, and quite simply, we deserve better than the horror show currently on display.
MDHokie79 September 24, 2023 at 7:58 PM

Any way you look at it, it don't look good, short-term and long-term. GO HOKIES!
MV Trumpet September 24, 2023 at 6:07 PM

Before the season I thought we had a ceiling of 6-6 and 3-9 at worst, now it’s a long shot to even reach 3-9. The “complimentary football” that Brent Pry opines every post-game press conference doesn’t exist with this team and it’s even less likely to appear as we begin ACC play.
tigers September 24, 2023 at 5:59 PM

The excuses about talent is so disgusting! To believe that then you need to agree that Marshall, Perdue, and all of the the schools that we have lost to are more talented than VT. Not the case, just a terrible excuse to hide horrible coaching. TO much learning on the job with this coaching staff and for that matter, AD when picking a Football Coach. Let them all go to Division 111 for experience!
1. MDHokie79 September 24, 2023 at 7:59 PM
  
  The talent vacuum seems to be in the coaching staff. When do the players start to grumble and give up, even if subconsciously? Not good. GO HOKIES!
Mapmaker September 24, 2023 at 5:52 PM

That light you thought you saw...are the torches and pitchforks gathering.
lineman 72 September 24, 2023 at 5:48 PM

The old adage that “ Iron sharpens iron “ (Proverbs 27:17) can also be applied to Va Tech practicing against Va Tech. It seems that the competition level on the practice field does NOT prepare this team to compete against its opponents on Saturday. A Coach once told me that if the hay is not in the barn by Thursday you might as well leave it out to rot. Also, are the players retaining mentally or comprehending the complexities of competing against P5 competition? Particularly the linebacker positions. Watch the lb’s pre-snap . They often do not appear to know where to line up or react to what they are seeing. They continually look to the sidelines for instructions. Confusion. With two LB Coaches on staff and players who have experienced hundreds of practice plays: Well, what can you say? INJURIES….. VT always goes to war as a wounded opponent. Even the bb program last year with Rice and Cattoor, this year it’s Jennings, Peoples and last year Malachi….What’s going on here??? And this has been happening for years. Here I believe I might know what is going on. Oh, well
1. Willamette Hokie September 24, 2023 at 6:10 PM
  
  I was also wondering about how players are missing assignments. What gives? Is it a case of the more athletic players not understanding what to do, and the backups understand it? If so, which way do you go? Long ago, I wasn’t the biggest player at my position, but I knew exactly where to be and when. And that helped my game.
2. razz4242 September 24, 2023 at 9:19 PM
  
  Amen. What I’ve been thinking.
Stork September 24, 2023 at 5:38 PM

Great analysis Chris. Cox Falcons will save us once again.
lazarus1 September 24, 2023 at 5:21 PM

The d.line coach and the O-coordinator need to go, then on from there.
1. Twincountyhokie September 24, 2023 at 5:38 PM
  
  Don't be fooled by Pitt. They will have some back we've never heard of get 200 yards rushing.
  1. RiverViewHokie September 24, 2023 at 9:23 PM
    
    Hammond breaks out for 150+
  2. gaholder81 September 24, 2023 at 9:45 PM
    
    Rodney Hammond is very talented.
jboyhokie September 24, 2023 at 4:49 PM

The passing plays that were called for Drones looked the same as those called for Wells, i.e. sitting back in the pocket. Perhaps Drones should be used more as a roll-out passer. We might see better passing numbers for him if roll-outs were more frequent.
1. tspoon5 September 25, 2023 at 9:43 AM
  
  +1
hokie4life93 September 24, 2023 at 4:29 PM

Chris, do you buy the "this team needs to be totally rebuilt" narrative that Pry suggested? Justin Fuente said the same thing when he was hired - that a quarter of our roster wasn't of ACC caliber. It seems this is the ongoing convenient excuse for a new incoming VT coach - "the talent isn't there, so what happens on the field isn't my fault". I think we are seeing the results of 1.5 years of really poor coaching. I have no confidence in Bowen, am losing confidence in Marve and also in Pry. I think Hokie Nation is as well.
1. Arch72Hokie September 24, 2023 at 7:38 PM
  
  Blaming players is Al Groh's gig: "I can't win with these guys." I don't believe BCP is that kind of guy. During the radio broadcast yesterday, Mike Burnop noted, "a lot of these guys were playing HS football last year." That would explain a lot. More experience will fix a lot. Pry was dealt a weak hand when he came on board. I trust he's a better recruiter than CF whose best season was his first (2016), w/players he inherited from FB. It got worse from there, w/his players. Brent Pry surely has a better lay of the land than did JF and surely has a better understanding of the culture. Expectatons were high coming into the season but perhaps unrealisitc. We'll know a lot if Pry goes all Al Groh. In the meantime, it's wait and see.
  1. gaholder81 September 24, 2023 at 9:46 PM
    
    Fu brought Jerod Evans with him. Without Evans that team isn't nearly as good.
    1. dllawson September 25, 2023 at 8:05 AM
      
      The good old days, when we complained about being 6-6.

Virginia Tech's Losses Continue To Add Up

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